


Byun Baekhyun, King of Mochiland

by baekb4boys



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mochi, SUPER FLUFFY FLUFF, baekhyun is a king, fluffier fluff, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 02:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baekb4boys/pseuds/baekb4boys
Summary: Mochiland is a land of peaceful and cheery people, ruled overy by their beloved monarch Byun Baekhyun. The sweet young king's health and safety is vital to the happiness of his people, who want him to rule as long as possible, so he is relentlessly cared for and watched over. When a traveler arrives at Mochiland's palace, the benevolent king allows him to stay the night (and maybe stay in his heart).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! (＾▽＾)
> 
> Please enjoy this fluff flfuffu flfufuuf fufufl fic that I'm going to be writing > < 
> 
> It's been working as my stress reliever lmao
> 
> comments make me smile and be happy <3

Baekhyun blinked his eyes open softly, his mouth stretching wide to yawn. The sun had already let itself into his room through the sheer, light blue curtains, forcing him to squint his eyes as he looked around the bedroom. He scooted himself up on his bed, fluffing the big pink pillows behind him so they'd be more comfortable to rest against, and pulled the warm covers back over his head.  _ Mmmm ten more minutes won’t hurt,  _ he thought. But just as he’d begun to shut his eyes so he could slip peacefully back into his dreams, the door to his bedroom was creaked open. 

 

“Your Highness…?” was the tentative call that came from across the room. With the smallest sigh, Baekhyun removed the blankets covering his face and sat up again. He had hoped to be able to squeeze the utmost amount of sleep before he began his day. His mood brightened however, when his eyes landed on the vast amount of breakfast carried on the tray in the hands of his advisor. 

 

“Come on in, Junmyeon,” Baekhyun said, another yawn interrupting his sentence halfway. His gaze stayed on the strawberries in Junmyeon’s hands even as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Trailing behind Junmyeon was one of the maids with a little table to rest on Baekhyun’s lap as he ate. Once that was set down, Junmyeon began to lay each of the dishes on it one by one. This morning’s breakfast included milk, various pastries such as chocolate croissants, danishes, scones, muffins as well as the essential plate of Mochiland’s famous mochi and a bowl of strawberries, their stems already removed. The maid excused herself as Baekhyun began digging in, motioning to Junmyeon to sit down at the edge of his bed. 

 

“What’s the agenda for today, Myeonnie?” The advisor gave Baekhyun a pleading look before clearing his throat. Baekhyun stifled a giggle. Time and time again Junmyeon had asked him not to call him by that nickname but the reaction it gave made Baekhyun break this small rule every so often. Not only that but Baekhyun couldn’t help but want to ease some of the formalities he held with his advisor, the person he was closest to in the palace. 

 

“There’s the signing of the agreement to the new community garden and the designers need your opinion on the color scheme for the library renovations.” 

 

“Nothing else?”

 

“No, Your Highness.”

 

“Hmm… then maybe…could we make a cake?”

 

“We can most certainly have a cake prepared for you in no time! What flavor would y—” Baekhyun’s sigh cut him off. “Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

 

Baekhyun bit into another strawberry before replying, “I wanted to make the cake myself.” The king’s bottom lip jutted out in the poutiest frown. Junmyeon struggled to stutter out the rest of his refusal to the request at the sight of it. 

 

“Uh—er…I mean y-Your Highness if—with some help… maybe it, uhm,  _ may _ be possible for you to uh…”

 

“It’s okay, Junmyeon. Don't worry, it was just an idea I had.” He finished off one of the chocolate chip muffins on his plate. “Forget I mentioned it.” 

 

Suddenly, the advisor stood up from the bed, a fiery look of determination in his eyes. “Your Highness, I will make preparations for your cake baking immediately. Of course it will have to happen after your schedule and as long as you aren’t too tired but—What cake shall I gather the ingredients for?”

 

“Strawberry Shortcake?” Baekhyun answered, grinning from ear to ear, making the mochi cheeks loved by everyone in all of Mochiland prominent and turning his eyes into little half moons beneath his eyebrows. 

 

“It shall be done at once.” Junmyeon left the room with a bow and closed the door quietly behind him, leaving Baekhyun to finish the rest of his breakfast. 

 

Junmyeon sighed. He had told himself that he wouldn’t be so quick to give in to all the wishes of the young king. Of course, this proved to be quite a feat because the king looked so, so happy when he was allowed an extra half hour of reading before bed, or when he was allowed to ride across the lake in a canoe, or in this case, bake a cake. Especially after the death of Baekhyun’s parents, it was important to him—and really the entire kingdom to see their precious Mochi King happy. 

 

Back in his room, Baekhyun had carefully put the few remains of his breakfast to the side and begun about getting himself ready for the day. He entered the tub which the maids had already meticulously prepared with strawberry scented bubble bath, and lounged about or a little while, making sure to scrub his skin clean and wash his face. He was so glad that Junmyeon had long since allowed him to bathe unsupervised, as the advisor used to be insistent that Baekhyun had someone to help him whether it was just to scrub the part of his back he had trouble reaching or making sure that his hair was absolutely, one hundred percent dry before getting dressed (the king could under no circumstances have the misfortune of catching a cold). 

 

Baekhyun appreciated everyone’s efforts, he really did, but some things were no longer necessary for others to do for him. As the water turned tepid, he got out and dried himself off thoroughly with a towel before putting on his bathrobe that was hung on a hook. 

As he reached his closet, Baekhyun sighed at the sight of the maid waiting patiently to dress him in his robes. Nonetheless, he made sure to smile at her before standing without moving too much unless she asked him to. He was dressed in pale yellow robes that brushed the floor, adorned with a golden sash and his crown, studded with diamond, aquamarine, amethyst, emerald, and pink garnet. He thanked the maid and walked down to the office where he knew Junmyeon would be waiting for him with some of the petitioners for the garden, doing his best not to get distracted by all the pretty relics that adorned the palace halls. 

 

“Ah! Your Highness, you're here! Please, sit.” He could feel Junmyeon’s eyes rake over his hair briefly, as if determining whether each strand of blonde hair was dried to perfection. 

 

Baekhyun sat down behind his desk and took one of the pens in front of him into his hands. It was his favorite pen. His mother had given it to him and it had the Byun seal engraved on the golden bodice as well as a cute strawberry topper which Baekhyun used to click the pen open and closed. 

 

“All you have to do is sign here and here, and place your seal here and then we’re all good to go.” His advisor said, pointing at a few spots on the sheets of paper the king had already been reading through. Baekhyun did as he was told, signing here and there, placing his seal in the little box provided, and soon enough, he was all done. 

 

“Thank you very much, Your Highness,” a simply dressed man, George, who owned a produce store in the kingdom said. He bowed. 

 

Baekhyun shook his head slightly, reaching out a hand for him to shake. “There’s no need to thank me. It was obvious that a new community garden was an excellent idea, thank  _ you _ for bringing it to me.” The man’s smile grew brighter and he bowed once again on his way out of the office. It always made Baekhyun happy to help his people and see them happy. It made him feel as though he was truly doing good for Mochiland, and following in his parents’ footsteps. 

 

The next task was even simpler, Baekhyun only had to choose between different shades of blue and gold for the library. Being done with the most pressing matters of the day, got ready to leave. 

 

Junmyeon however, stopped him, asking seriously, “Are you sure you don’t want to rest a little?” 

 

Baekhyun shook his head fervently, insisting he was perfectly fine, and began to eagerly make his way to the kitchen to prepare the cake. 

 

“Kyungsoo~” Baekhyun called out with a lilt in his voice as he poked his head into the kitchen. He took a few steps through the door. Immediately the smell of bread hit his nostrils and he sighed, content. The chef acknowledged him with the slightest bow of his head and while he finished placing all of the muffins he’d made on a plate and giving them to his assistant, Jongin, to place in the fridge. He then dusted his hands off on his apron before grabbing one from the hook near the storage room to give to Baekhyun. The young king put it on over his head, but once he tried to tie it behind his back, he struggled, clumsy hands making it difficult for him. He sent a sheepish smile towards Kyungsoo who sighed and tied it for him.

 

“Your Highness, are you ready to begin?”

 

“Yes, Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun replied excitedly.

 

“Very well then, we’ll start by cutting the strawberries. Be careful okay?”

 

“Don’t worry, I will be!” Baekhyun set to work with Kyungsoo beside him, observing meticulously that the eager king didn’t cut the small fruit with the knife dangerously close to his fingers. He cut off the stems of the strawberries first, then cut them in half and placed them in the bowl that was set in front of him. Baekhyun then, under Kyungsoo’s instruction, measured out half a cup of sugar and emptied it into the strawberry bowl, tossing it around. He sneaked a few sugar-coated strawberries, the sweetness landing on his tongue making him smile. He may have had a whole bowl of strawberries in the morning but he could never get enough of them--they were his favorite food after all. How could they not be when it seemed like Mochiland’s strawberries were the best in the entire universe (maybe because they were grown with all the love possible in mind). 

 

After that, it was time to put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a separate bowl and mix it around. Then Baekhyun was told to add the shortening, eggs and milk. As the process of making the cake came to an end, Baekhyun’s excitement began to grow. As much as he liked the process of baking a cake, even if Kyungsoo could be a little stern sometimes, what Baekhyun liked the most is  _ eating _ the cake--especially when they’re making his absolute favorite. 

 

Kyungsoo poured the batter into the pan himself as Baekhyun watched on, leaning against the kitchen island. The batter looked so smooth, and Baekhyun’s hand involuntarily inched out, hoping to catch just the smallest bit on his fingertip so he could taste it, but his hand was quickly slapped away. Baekhyun pouted, and Kyungsoo, seeing him, gave him a strawberry instead. The chef then placed the cake in the oven and turned back to Baekhyun. 

 

“Okay, Baekhyun, now we have to clean up so we can decorate the cake once it’s ready. The cleaner, the better. Then, we can start on whipped cream and making assembling the cake.”

 

“Let’s go!”

 

With the help of Jongin, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were able to clean the kitchen quickly. They swept any flour that could have fallen on the floor away and threw away the strawberries tops, wiped the counters, and soon the kitchen was sparkling clean once again. The timer went off once the cake was done and Baekhyun jumped to put on the oven mitts and be able to take the cake out of the oven. 

 

“Oh no you don’t.” Kyungsoo said, slipping the mitts off of Baekhyun’s hands and giving them to Jongin. “Junmyeon will have my head if he knew that I let you anywhere near the oven, Baekhyun. You know that.”

 

Baekhyun whined, pouted, pleaded, but Kyungsoo would not judge. He was left to watch Jongin set the cakes out to cool. 

 

“It’s not fun if I don’t get to do anything,” Baekhyun said, crossing his arms and gazing longingly at the oven. 

 

“Fine, you can grab the sugar and the heavy whipping cream for the whipped cream, okay?”

 

Baekhyun nodded, pleased, and took the whipping cream out from the fridge first and then went to the pantry to grab the sugar. He looked around for a bit before he finally found it… on the highest shelf. 

 

_ If Kyungsoo could do it, then so can I,  _ he told himself. 

 

Baekhyun raised himself on his tiptoes to reach the shelf. He stretched his hands out, wiggling his fingers to try and touch the bag of sugar, to no avail. He blew air through his lips and after finding a stool, let out a small cheer. He placed it in front of the shelf, and stood on it. It was a little wobbly, but would have to do. 

 

In the kitchen, Kyungsoo began to worry. How long did the young king need to grab sugar? He worked on removing the cakes from the pans. 

 

“Baekhyun?” he called out as he worked, “Can you find it?”

 

“I’m fine!” Baekhyun answered, “Just give me a minute.” 

 

Jongin looked at Kyungsoo, with an eyebrow raised. “Do you want me to go check on him?”

 

“Yes, please.” 

 

Jongin nodded and went to the walk-in pantry where Baekhyun was. His eyes went wide. Baekhyun was standing on the wobbly stool Kyungsoo had been telling him to throw out on one leg, grabbing onto the shelf to secure himself, still trying desperately to reach the bag of sugar on the shelf. How could Jongin have forgotten where they placed the baking supplies! There was no way Baekhyun could reach it when even Kyungsoo asked him to get things on the top shelves instead of doing it himself. 

 

“Your Highness!” Jongin yelled, desperately. “Please, get down from there! It’s not safe!” 

 

Baekhyun whipped his head towards the voice, “Don’t worry! I…” he made a noise of discomfort as his arm stretched further, “I--almost got it.” 

 

“Please!” Jongin yelled again. The sound alerted Kyungsoo from the kitchen and he came in, horrified at what he saw. 

 

“Baekhyun! What are you doing?”    
  


“I’m just--getting the sugar.” The stool wobbled once again, causing Kyungsoo to let out a small shriek and Jongin to get closer to Baekhyun, arms outstretched. The young king put more weight on the shelf his hand was on and made a small jump on the stool in a final attempt to reach it. Inevitably, as Baekhyun landed, the stool tipped over, sending him and the shelf crashing down. Baekhyun yelped and Jongin jumped to soften Baekhyun’s fall, wrapping his arms around the king as he fell. The pantry was a mess. Different kinds of sugar and flour, every kind of baking ingredient imaginable had fallen, turning the room into a white, powdery mess. Baekhyun coughed through the clouds of flour and powdered sugar, face streaked with white, Jongin and Kyungsoo doing the same. 

 

“Your Highness, are you okay?” Kyungsoo asked, rushing to him and helping him up. 

 

“Yes, yes I’m fine,” Baekhyun looked around the pantry with a frown, his droopy eyes turning sad. “I’m so sorry, Kyungsoo.” He turned towards Jongin, and helped him get up, “I’m sorry.”

 

The young king’s eyes brimmed with tears and his lower lip quivered. 

 

“Your Highness, I’m fine! You see? Don’t worry!” Baekhyun nodded, sniffling, wiping his eyes of tears and turning to Kyungsoo.

 

“Can I help fix it?” He sneezed. 

 

“Your Highness, Jongin and I will take care of this. You should go take a bath and get some clean clothes. Go on.” 

 

Baekhyun nodded sadly and left the kitchen, with one last glance at Kyungsoo and Jongin beginning to clean up the mess  _ he _ had made.

 

As he walked through the hallways to his room, he trailed flour behind him. Past the portraits of his ancestors, the library, and his office, he was so close to getting to his room without Junmyeon, who would surely throw a fit if he found him in this state, seeing him. Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. As soon as he turned the corner, he came face to face with his advisor who, on seeing him, let out a gasp.

 

“Your Highness, what happened???!!!” 

 

“Uhh…” Baekhyun slowed down his steps. “There was just a  _ little _ accident in the kitchen.” 

 

“Little?” Junmyeon raised a stern eyebrow and Baekhyun sighed in defeat.

 

“I  _ might _ have fallen down while trying to reach the sugar and dropped an entire shelf of ingredients onto the floor,” he said quickly. 

 

“Are you okay?” Junmyeon yelled, “Are you hurt?” 

 

“No, I’m fine! Really!” Baekhyun said, smiling. “I just need to take a bath again and then I’ll go back and help Kyungsoo with the rest of the cake!”

 

“You’re gonna give me a heart attack one day,” Junmyeon muttered, rubbing his temples. He accompanied Baekhyun to his room, calling some of the staff to start Baekhyun’s bath for him. To his dismay, Baekhyun refused to allow Kyungsoo to finish the cake on his own, insisting on helping, even though Junmyeon pleaded with him to relax and read instead or go to the gardens. 

 

Baekhyun was in his bathtub for the second time that day. He’d added extra bubbles once the maid had left and carefully scrubbed his hair and body free of flour and sugar. If he wasn’t spotless, Junmyeon might grow distressed again, and he didn’t want that. Baekhyun didn’t want to worry everyone all the time. He was capable of doing things himself, even though he may be a little clumsy at times. 

 

Wanting to quickly be able to join Kyungsoo again and finish his delicious cake, Baekhyun leaves the bathtub, rushes to dry himself off, and gets dressed with a bit of difficulty, this time in blue. As he sat in front of the mirror, he dried off his hair vigorously with his towel and brushed the soft blonde locks into place, placing his crown, which had been shined to perfection for him on his head after. 

 

He began skipping towards the kitchen but was stopped by Junmyeon, again.

 

“Your Highness, there seems to be a bit of a situation,” Junmyeon said uneasily.

 

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked, surprised. He tilted his head in question and waited for a reply. 

 

“There’s a man who’s at the entrance, he doesn’t seem to be from here… We’re not sure what to do with him.” Junmyeon’s weight shifted from foot to foot as though anxious to show him. 

 

“Well, let’s go see him, then.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummmm i'm so sorry this took so long ;;;;   
> a whole month???!?!?!?!?/!?/!/ what am i doing??  
> the next updates shouldn't take so long :(   
> please enjoy !!  
> (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

Junmyeon led the king to the entrance, where a small crowd of the people had gathered. They parted as soon as they saw Baekhyun enter the room, his head held high, and bowed to him. 

 

“Could someone please explain to me what’s happening here?” Baekhyun asked. The whispers and mutters of the room fell silent, unaccustomed to his soft voice sounding stiff, even a little cold. As much as Baekhyun disliked using this tone, he had to stay professional, a stranger could mean many things, and despite the excited butterflies raging in his stomach, he had to make sure his people were safe first.

 

One of the guards began to speak up, before he was interrupted. 

 

“Hello,” a man said, and it was surprising to Baekhyun that he hadn’t noticed him before, that he could have been lost in the crowd huddled around him. He wore forest green clothing, a color dark and heavy, and not usually seen in Mochiland where bright colors were loved. On his shoulders he carried a large backpack that seemed to be weighing even a strong man like him down. His boots as well as his face and hair were dirty, caked in mud and grime, and Baekhyun couldn’t help but wonder where he came from, what it had taken for him to get here. “My name is Chanyeol. And you are?”

 

“I am Byun Baekhyun, King of Mochiland.” 

 

The man named Chanyeol jerked into a bow, his eyes widening as he realized he was in the presence of royalty. Baekhyun felt the urge to chuckle at how nervous he’d become. 

 

“Why have you come here?” he asked him. 

 

“I’ve been traveling,” Chanyeol answered with a smile. Despite being in an unknown place he was calm, and spoke easily. “I like learning about different places, seeing new things. Somehow I’ve ended up here in… Mochiland.” 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes sparkled at the mention of traveling. He’d never been outside of Mochiland, at least not that he can remember. And as much as he was educated about all the different kingdoms, it wasn’t the same as going there and experiencing them for himself. 

 

Junmyeon leaned over to whisper in Baekhyun’s ear. “Your Highness, would you like us to send him away?” 

 

“That won’t be necessary,” he replied. “Chanyeol, you may stay here for a bit **—** If you’d like to, that is.”

 

“That **—** That would be amazing. I am very thankful, Your Highness.” 

 

He sent a smile Chanyeol’s way which was returned. Baekhyun turned to one of his maids. “Could you please show Chanyeol to a room? I’m sure he’d be thankful to have a warm bath prepared too.” The maid nodded and left, asking Chanyeol to follow her. The crowd soon dispersed, still murmuring about the stranger that had entered the castle, and Baekhyun went once more on his way to the kitchen, with Junmyeon stuttering and sputtering in disbelief behind him. 

 

“Your Highness—Baekhyun, we don’t even  _ know _ this man. He could be dangerous!”

 

“He didn’t seem dangerous,” Baekhyun began. “He looked tired, Junmyeon, the least I could do was give him a place to rest for the night.”

 

“I’m going to have him kept under surveillance,” Junmyeon said. 

 

“B-but—!” 

 

“It’s for your own safety, Baekhyun. If you insist on having him in the castle, he  _ must _ have guards watching him to make sure he isn’t a threat to you or the rest of Mochiland,” he said fiercely.

 

“Y-you’re right. Send a pair of men to the hall he’s staying in, but we don’t want to make him feel unwelcome either so… make sure it’s not too obvious.” 

 

“As you wish, Your Highness.” He left to another part of the hall, leaving Baekhyun to finally join Kyungsoo and Jongin. 

 

Baekhyun was glad to get away and get back to finishing the cake he’d been looking forward to since the morning. He was timid as he entered the kitchen again, still disheartened from his incident earlier in the day. 

 

“Oh, Your Highness! Come on in!” Jongin greeted him first, he had shaken all the powder out of his hair and washed his face and smiled warmly at the king. At Baekhyun’s hesitance, Jongin chuckled, “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly shy because of what happened, are you? We’ve been through a lot worse—Heck, I did a lot worse to this kitchen when I first began.” 

 

He walked towards Baekhyun with the apron they kept especially for him and Baekhyun let out a small sigh of relief at knowing that they weren’t mad at him (but really,  _ who _ could ever stay mad at him?).

 

“Where’s Kyungsoo?”

 

“He’s washing up a bit. He insisted he had to before you came back even though I told him you wouldn’t have cared either way.”

 

Baekhyun nodded and let Jongin walk him through making the whipped cream, Kyungsoo joining them only a moment later. Baekhyun hummed as he measured out a bit of sugar to go along with the heavy whipping cream already in the bowl. Though he’d tried to whisk it himself, he soon grew tired and Kyungsoo took over, transforming the thickish liquid into stiff peaks of whipped cream. 

 

Baekhyun cheered, excited to finally be able to construct the cake. He could already taste the sugary strawberries and soft, fluffy cake on his tongue. 

 

“Remember, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo reminded him, “We place the whipped cream on top of the first layer of cake, then lay out the strawberries.”

 

Baekhyun did as he was told while the two chefs watched, delighted that the king was having so much fun doing even the simplest of tasks. Baekhyun brushed a blonde lock of hair out of his face before meticulously placing the halved, sugar-coated strawberries first in the shape of a smiley face on top and then filling up the rest of the empty space. He cautiously and gently picked up the top layer of the cake and put it on top of the other. He placed a dollop of whipped cream and a few more strawberries to garnish before standing back, satisfied. 

 

“Ta-da!” Baekhyun used a strawberry to scoop some whipped cream and popped it in his mouth. 

 

“This looks really good, Your Highness!” 

 

Jongin nodded in agreement before doing just as the king had, dipping a strawberry into the almost empty bowl of whipped cream. Baekhyun’s mouth salivated as he looked at the cake. 

 

“Baekhyun?” 

 

He whipped his attention away from the cake with an embarrassed smile and turned to Kyungsoo. 

 

“Would you like a piece?”

 

He nodded eagerly, “I’d like to eat in the library, please.”

 

“Of course. I’ll have someone bring it out to you in a minute, Your Highness.” 

 

Baekhyun removed his apron, thanking Kyungsoo and Jongin for helping him once again before going to his beloved library. There were two in the palace: The East Library and the West library but this one, the West Library,  was his personal favorite. It was a little smaller, though still grand enough to be considered up to royal standards, and stored all of the king’s favorite books. The other focused more on old texts, maps, and anthologies. Baekhyun took in a deep breath of the scent of books, seating himself on the red couch with ease, picking up the book he had set on the table in front of him, and beginning to read where he had left off. 

 

Although he wanted to focus on the book, his thoughts couldn’t help but stray to Chanyeol. There was so much he wanted to ask, so many things he was curious about. He set his book aside and went back into the hall, almost running into a maid, who carried his piece of cake in her hands. 

 

“Sorry, Your Highness!” she said, balancing the plate on the tray again. 

 

“No, I’m sorry! I wasn’t looking,” Baekhyun replied. He followed the maid back into the library, watching as she set down the plate and then turned to him, the tray tucked underneath her arm.

 

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” 

 

“Yes, actually,” Baekhyun faltered. “It’s just—I would love it if you could ask Chanyeol if he’d liked to accompany me in having cake and tea. Here, in the library.” 

 

“Of course, Your Highness. And I’ll bring your tea right away,” she bowed and left, quick to do as Baekhyun asked. 

 

With nothing else to do but wait, Baekhyun contented himself with taking small bites of cake, curled up on the couch with a book on his lap. It was a marvelous story of foreign lands and kingdoms. A glance at the grandfather clock on the other end of the room surprised Baekhyun. It was already four thirty. Dinner would be ready soon and Baekhyun was here, eating cake. He wondered if maybe it would have been better to ask Chanyeol to accompany him to dinner where he could have a nice meal, instead of filling him up with cake. 

 

He ran towards where he believed they would have put Chanyeol before slowing down, Junmyeon’s chastising voice rang in his ears, telling him not to run in the halls else he might slip or trip and fall down. Once he saw the guards loitering around the door, he walked towards it, certain that it must be where Chanyeol was. 

 

Baekhyun cleared his throat lightly, gaining the attention of the two guards. “Um, is this where Chanyeol is staying?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.” 

 

“Excellent,” the king knocked on the wooden door, then placing his hands behind his back as he waited. From inside came the sound of shuffling until the door opened and Chanyeol came into view behind it, freshly bathed and clothed. 

 

“Your Highness?! Hello—To what do I owe this pleasure? I was just—” 

 

Baekhyun waved his hand dismissively, his button nose scrunching in distaste at the formality in Chanyeol’s voice. “You can call me Baekhyun,  _ please. _ All I hear every day is ‘Your Highness’ this, ‘Your Highness’ that—I just wish they would call me  _ Baekhyun _ .” The young king sighed, as though recalling every time Junmyeon had insisted on not calling him Baekhyun, even when they were alone. 

 

Chanyeol nodded, wanting to do as he said, the beginnings of a smile playing on his lips. “Okay, Baekhyun, what can I do for you? Oh—Would you like to come in?” 

 

“No, it’s okay! And, um, actually, I know I invited you to join me for tea, but I was wondering if you wouldn’t join me for dinner instead.” Baekhyun couldn’t help the hopeful tone that slipped into his voice. It wasn’t often that he had visitors, much less, visitors that he could actually  _ talk _ to; visitors that wouldn’t want to just discuss the latest news in Mochiland (though it  _ was _ always exciting how well the mochi was doing) or didn’t know what to do other than comment on the exquisite taste of the food and then stare off with nothing else to say, allowing an awkward cloud to fall over the room. So when Chanyeol agreed to meet him for dinner at six, Baekhyun was elated. 

 

He allowed Chanyeol to finish settling in  as he skipped back to the library to wait until Junmyeon came to let him know it was time to eat. He hummed while leafing through his book. Time passed slowly. Every sentence Baekhyun read, he looked up at the clock across the room, huffing. For the past months it seemed as if all the time had blended together; every day felt the same, as if they were passing by in one long dream. Thankfully, Junmyeon soon crept into the library. He smiled upon seeing Baekhyun’s focused expression as he read his book, enchanted by the world his stories told him of. 

 

“Your Highness, Baekhyun, dinner has been prepared for you and—the guest.” 

 

Baekhyun hopped up from his seat, practically gliding through the halls until he arrived at the dining room. 

 

Chanyeol had already been seated, to the right of where Baekhyun sat, at the head of the table of the ornate and colorful dining room. He stood up when Baekhyun came in and Baekhyun smiled, motioning him to sit back down as he did so as well. Junmyeon left them, but not before whispering to the two guards at the door to keep a special eye on Chanyeol, and to inform him if he did anything suspicious. 

 

Kyungsoo brought out the first course, a salad, moments later, smiling at Baekhyun upon seeing him eye the strawberries strewn across it and drizzled with a sweet vinaigrette. 

 

“This is my favorite salad,” Baekhyun began, not sure what else to say. “The strawberries… Mochiland has the best strawberries in the entire world—I-I think.” Baekhyun flushed as those words came out of his mouth. Chanyeol must have traveled to thousands of far off places, trying much more incredible things, and much more incredible strawberries. 

 

As the king rambled, Chanyeol had taken a bite letting out a sound of content, catching Baekhyun’s attention. He looked intently at Chanyeol, awaiting some kind of further sign that he liked it. 

 

Chanyeol swallowed and exclaimed, “This is really good!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness! These are—” Chanyeol stuffed another mouthful in his face, “The best strawberries I’ve ever had! How do they get this sweet? It’s incredible.”

 

Baekhyun’s face lit up, his smile making even the edges of the guards’ mouths twitch up for a millisecond. Yes, there really were no better strawberries in the entire world than Mochiland’s. Baekhyun practically glowed in his seat at the news. His kingdom and the people in it were his pride and joy and he was happy when people were able to see its worth, even though it was small in size. 

 

“I can take you to the strawberry fields tomorrow… if you’d like to. Everyone is really nice, I’m sure they’d be happy to tell you how they’re grown. It’s really fascinating, although I’ve only studied it a little bit so I’m not expert—But they’re my favorite food so, I guess that’s why I know so much about them.”

 

“I’d love to, thank you Your Hi— Baekhyun. It’s very kind of you to do so.” Chanyeol’s smile was soft, in awe of the hospitality he’d been met with in coming to Mochiland despite being a complete stranger. Under Chanyeol’s kind grateful gaze, the roundness of Baekhyun’s cheeks blushed a soft pink.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun had finished their salads by now and the next course was quickly on its way out of the kitchen. A comfortable conversation continued throughout the soup and entree dish, until finally it was time for the dessert. Baekhyun almost wished he’d waited to eat a piece until Chanyeol could see it. Nevertheless, the strawberry shortcake still looked beautiful in front of them, the fluffy layers of cake with the sweet, light whipped cream and strawberries looking extra heavenly in the lovely atmosphere of the room (even if there was a piece taken out of it). Chanyeol was quite funny, and though Baekhyun had only spoken to him for a few hours, made him feel like they’d been friends for the longest time. It was nice for the young king to have someone who was able to comfortably talk to him, without constantly worrying about whether or not they were being formal enough. 

 

Baekhyun took a sip of the sparkling cider he’d been drinking throughout dinner. When Kyungsoo had set the cake out in front of them and embarrassed Baekhyun by telling Chanyeol the king had personally made it, Baekhyun had made sure to ask him to bring some milk out too, because it wasn’t right to eat cake without milk, of course. 

 

“You really made this yourself?” Chanyeol asked, his big eyes widened even more after taking a bite and letting the yummy moist cake spread across his taste buds. 

 

“Y-yes, well— I had some help, of course.” 

 

“That’s amazing! I’ve never met a king who could bake so well!” 

 

All the attention was making Baekhyun flustered. Lots of times the people of the kingdom gave him compliments and praised him, but he was convinced they only did it to be nice; Chanyeol, on the other hand, had no reason to do so, and he was so, so… Baekhyun wasn’t sure, he only knew that so far he enjoyed Chanyeol’s company.

 

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Baekhyun said, fidgeting in his chair. “I really did need a lot of help and I’m super messy it’s not—And I’m sure one of the thousands of places you’ve gone to have had a cake-baking king,” Baekhyun giggled. 

 

Chanyeol shook his head furiously, “I swear, Baekhyun! Not one! Not in the biggest human kingdoms, or the smallest fairy towns— none of their leaders have ever made anything as delicious as you have, or welcomed me as warmly.” 

 

“Tell me about all the places you’ve been to, please?” Baekhyun asked, resting his head in his hands and leaning towards Chanyeol. 

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Anything,” Baekhyun replied. “Absolutely anything.” 

 

Over tea and a few more pieces of cake, Baekhyun got to know a few of Chanyeol’s adventure stories. There were so many places that Baekhyun had never been to, that he’d never explored. Mochiland was small. It was quiet. It was undisturbed and unbothered by the world around it. It pleased itself with producing the world’s best strawberries and mochi, and did well in providing it fairly and amicably. There was no need to visit other places, there were no alliances made between countries, there was only peaceful, content Mochiland. 

 

He listened in awe to Chanyeol’s retellings, gasping and laughing the whole night long. Chanyeol was an excellent storyteller, but as the night grew darker, the young king grew tired; his eyes began to droop, heavy and he yawned. Noticing this, one of the guards had left the room and notified Junmyeon, who in the next few minutes, was swiftly in the dining room. 

 

“Your Highness,” he said softly. “I think it’s best if we end the night. You’re tired.” 

 

“No, no,” Baekhyun protested. “I’m fine.” 

 

Junmyeon’s face looked as if he’d eaten something bad as he looked from Chanyeol to Baekhyun and then back to Chanyeol. 

 

Chanyeol let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms behind him. “Well Baekhyun, I’m pooped after the long journey, would it be alright to continue this conversation tomorrow?”

 

“Wha— I guess it’s okay. But,” he yawned again. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay up just a little later?” His eyes seemed to close again again without him being able to help it. 

 

Junmyeon helped the sleepy king get up as Chanyeol did the same. 

 

“Good night, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said with a bow. “I’ve had a lovely evening thanks to you.” 

 

“Good night, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun watched as the guards ‘helped’ Chanyeol get back to his room and Junmyeon escorted Baekhyun back to his own. 

 

“Did you have a good night, Your Highness? How was the cake?” The advisor asked the king, who slowly walked towards his room, visibly tired, albeit happy. 

 

“I had a lot of fun and… it was yummy.” 

 

Junmyeon smiled. That was all he could want. He had one of the maids near Baekhyun’s room help him back into his pajamas and then into bed, turning off the light. 

 

“Sleep well, Your Highness.”

 

There was no response, only the faint puppy-like sounds of Baekhyun’s entrance into the dreamworld. 


End file.
